This invention relates to veterinary delivery devices for delivering medicaments, including pharmaceuticals or vaccines, to a plurality of poultry or other animals. In particular, this invention relates to a portable, electrically powered veterinary delivery system for reliably providing a precise amount of pharmaceuticals, or vaccine, rapidly to a plurality of fowl, porcine, ovine or other animals.
Injection devices are known in the art. Numerous injection devices have been provided in prior art that are adapted to include a manually operated plunger. A hand-held syringe, having a barrel and manually operated plunger, has been used to administer vaccines, antibiotics and other biological products. A problem with this device and method is that the accuracy of the dose is dependent on the manual strength and attention of the operator. When injecting large numbers of birds or other animals, the operator""s hands become fatigued resulting in inaccurate doses being delivered to the bird or other animal being injected. An additional problem has been accidental injury to the operator as a result of either movement of the bird or other animal during the injection process or lack of lighting present at the barn or other injection locale. Injection into a human of veterinary products can cause permanent injury that may even result in amputation. Identifying which birds or other animals have been injected within a flock or herd has also been a problem.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as hereinafter described.
The present invention is directed to an automatic veterinary medicament delivery system that satisfies these needs for delivery of precise amounts of medicament to an individual animal or fowl. The medicament includes any fluid products for immunizing purposes or for treatment. The system provides rapid and consistent one-handed administration of the medicament, without fatigue-affected changes in the amount of medicament delivered, to large numbers of fowl, porcine, ovine, or other animals. An automatic veterinary medicament delivery system having features of the present invention comprises an electronic control unit having means for quickly adjusting the dosage of medicament to be delivered by injection. The veterinary delivery system includes several hand-held injection devices from which to choose, depending on desired use, each having a push-button trigger, at least one needle, a headlight, signal lights, optional dye marking means, and an optional mixing chamber for mixing medicaments at the time of delivery of the medicament, the hand-held injection devices being easily connected and disconnected by means of quick connect fluid couplers for being in fluid communication with the system and a nine-pin amp electrical connector for being in electronic communication with the control unit. One embodiment hand-held unit provides a single needle for injecting especially the ear of cattle. Another embodiment hand-held unit provides a single needle plus marking means. An additional hand-held unit provides two needles for injecting two unmixed medicines simultaneously. One embodiment hand-held unit provides a single needle, but the hand-held unit is inverted with a pistol grip attached for use especially with thick-skinned animals, such as cattle or pigs. All of these hand-held units provide means to deter self-injection of the user. In some hand-held units, this safety device is in the form of an emergency stop button. In an additional hand-held unit, a safety interlock is provided that prevents injection until a retractable resilient member is forced to a second, retracted position, to complete an electrical circuit permitting injection to take place. In all of these delivery systems, a source of fluid medicament, tubing interconnecting the injection devise and the medicament, an electrically powered pump in fluid communication with both the injection device and the medicament, actuation means for activating a pump forcing the medicament through the tubing from medicament source to the injection device for dispensing, are provided. A quick connect fluid coupler permits coupling of each hand-held unit to the pump. A nine-pin amp electrical connector connects the electrical power portion of each hand-held unit to the control unit. Also, a convenient carrying system is provided. Optional means for marking injected animals are also included. Methods for administering two medicaments simultaneously are also provided.
Manually depressing a trigger on the hand-held injection device of this delivery system, in conjunction with inserting a needle into the subject body, actuates the pump causing fluid to flow through the hollow needle accomplishing an injection. An emergency stop button is provided in case an error is made, ex. the needle goes through the ear, or through the ear and into the user""s hand to prevent injection of a medicament into the user. This is an important deterrent to self-injection. An additional embodiment provides a safety interlock member which must be depressed to the needle hub to close the electrical switch which in turn actuates the pump causing fluid flow through the hollow needle only when the needle is fully inserted actuates an injection. This safety interlock is adjacent to the needle and positioned to extend to the length of the needle. This safety interlock is then depressed to the point adjacent to the needle hub as the needle is inserted. At this juncture, an internal extended rod from the safety interlock closes the electrical circuit by means of a Hall-effect switch. This, in turn, actuates the pump to cause fluid flow through the needle. This feature also deters accidental self-injection. Injection cannot take place until the needle is fully inserted, thus enabling the operator to withdraw an accidental stab prior to injection taking place. The goal of both of the systems is operator safety. Self-injection is a very serious accident among vaccinating crews.
The delivery system includes a means of marking, by automatically pressing an applicator pad containing a pre-measured amount of dye pumped into it, in order to prominently and automatically mark each treated animal adjacent to the injection site.
The delivery system is powered by a compact, rechargeable 12-volt battery or 110 volt AC/12 volt DC converter, although other electrical means could be used, for sustained operation reducing fatigue and the likelihood of repetitive stress injury to the operator.
The delivery system includes a self-priming peristaltic pump for delivery of a consistent amount of medicament. The pump also reverses to retrieve unused medicament upon completion of each injection chore. The use of a peristaltic pump permits the system to be valve-free.
The delivery system has an optional head lamp at the injection site for greater safety and accuracy of injection. The delivery system includes a green LCD on the handle to indicate that an injection is in progress. A red LCD on the handle indicates the medicament fluid is low.
The delivery system also includes an automatic counter to record and total the numbers of injections.
The delivery system also includes an optional mixing tube to combine medicaments.
The delivery system also includes a cleaning process to clean the tubing of the delivery system following each job. To accomplish cleaning, the pump switch on the face of the control unit is set to xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d in order to circulate cleaning/sanitizing solutions for effective xe2x80x9cclean in placexe2x80x9d.
The system is enclosed in a back-pack or box, which protects it from dirt and dust and also provides a convenient place to store and transport the component parts.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved multiple dose veterinary delivery system that provides a precise dosage to a plurality of animals without requiring frequent refilling of the system between administrations of medicament to a plurality of animals.
A further object is to provide a veterinary delivery system which can be manipulated with one hand freeing up the second hand of the user to hold onto the subject animal for injection.
It is a further object to provide a veterinary medicament delivery system which ensures administration of precise amount of a medicament to the animal.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a veterinary delivery system that uses a self-priming pump.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a veterinary delivery system that eliminates waste of medicament and that provides an accurate count of doses delivered.
Another object is to increase the safety features of such an injection system by reducing the hazard of self-inoculation of the operator. A further object is to provide an easily transportable injection system.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.